Abstract:

The increasing significance of urban green spaces has drawn attention to soil microbial diversity within park green spaces as a crucial indicator of ecosystem health. In this study, the lawn area of Fenghuangshan Talent Forest Park in Shenzhen City was taken as the research object, and the ecological impact of human trampling on soil microbial community was systematically evaluated for the first time. By integrating high-throughput sequencing technology, a systematic analysis was conducted on the alterations in soil microbial diversity, species composition, and community functions before and after trampling disturbance. This methodology effectively uncovers the negative impact mechanisms of trampling on soil microbes. The results showed that there were significant decreases in the species richness index of soil fungi (23%) and the Shannon species diversity index of bacteria (5%) after trampling. PcoA and NMDS analyses indicated that there were significant differences in the Beta diversity of soil microorganisms after trampling, suggesting that trampling substantially altered the soil microbial community structure of the lawn. In terms of microbial species composition, the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) sequence numbers for both fungi and bacteria decreased after trampling, with a notable increase in the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota. The FUNGuild fungal functional classification indicated that the relative abundance of plant pathogenic fungi significantly increased after trampling. This study quantified the negative effects of trampling on soil microbial communities in urban green space, and provided a scientific basis for sustainable management and soil remediation of park green space.

Key words: park green spaces, trampling, soil microbial diversity, species composition, functional prediction